Bayer Partners with Carnegie Science Center to Create New Environmental Curriculum for Children and Teens

Jun. 05 /CSRwire/ - PITTSBURGH, PA - June 5, 2008 - To help foster a new generation of environmentally literate elementary-, middle- and high-school students, Bayer Corporation, as part of its Making Science Make Sense(R) initiative, has teamed with Carnegie Science Center on World Environment Day to create a new six-week environmental curriculum for the Science in Your Neighborhood (SIYN) program that is scheduled to launch this summer in city neighborhoods and at the Science Center.

The new program is designed to connect at-risk teens with academic and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and help them become science literate. By joining with the Science Center on this initiative, Bayer is continuing its support of programs that help diversify the STEM pipeline by bringing more females and underrepresented minorities into STEM fields.

SIYN, which empowers youth from less advantaged Pittsburgh communities through hands-on experiences with science, math and technology, is one of Carnegie Science Center's longest-running and most successful community outreach programs. Since 2000, this "kids-teaching-kids" program has trained and employed high school students from the Pittsburgh Public Schools to deliver science programming to elementary after-school and summer programs at venues located in Pittsburgh's disadvantaged communities. Known as Science Apprentices, these teens lead small groups of elementary school students in hands-on learning activities over a sustained period of time.

The new environmental curriculum will enable both the Science Apprentices and the younger students they mentor to gain a better understanding of the world in which they live and steps they can take to help sustain it. In addition, the Science Apprentices will take part in shaping the curriculum, along with Science Center and Bayer experts. They also will work with Science Center visitors on environmental hands-on activities on weekends in July and August.

"As an inventor company firmly grounded in the motto 'Science For A Better Life,' we at Bayer are keenly aware of the science-related issues facing us today - everything from diversity/under-representation issues to those involving environmental protection, climate change and sustainable development. The only way we can begin to successfully address these issues - as individuals, communities, corporations and countries - is if we all have a baseline level of scientific and environmental literacy, including the youngest among us. That is what this program is designed to do," said Dr. Attila Molnar, President and CEO of Bayer Corporation.

SIYN employs a total of 15 high school students each year. The after-school component of the program reaches 240 elementary students each week during the school year. During summer months, the program reaches an average of 960 elementary students each week during a six-week period.

"We are very excited to partner with Bayer to create new opportunities that spotlight the environment through programming that promotes a more environmentally aware and actionable citizenry," said Ron Baillie, Carnegie Science Center Chief Program Officer. "Bayer brings valuable resources and expertise in environmental science to our programming, and we applaud Bayer for its commitment to science and environmental education programs. We are delighted Bayer is partnering with us on a project that has such notable and positive impact on our community's young people."

Science Apprentices can begin working with SIYN as ninth graders and stay with the program for four years. Over the eight years that SIYN has been in operation, 100 percent of the Science Apprentices have gone on to post-secondary education, often the first in their families to do so.

Today's announcement of the creation of this innovative kids-teaching-kids environmental education program at the Science Center is one of a series of World Environment Day activities across the country that Bayer is supporting, including the unveiling of the first-ever North American International Children's Painting Competition (a signature WED program) Exhibition at the Chicago Botanic Garden and the launch of the first annual Bayer USA Foundation World Environment Day Community Grants program.

In addition, through the Bayer Climate Program, the company is working to reduce its "climate footprint" and develop sustainable solutions, including investing approximately $1.5 billion between 2008 and 2010 in climate-related research and projects.

About Bayer Corporation's Making Science Make Sense

Making Science Make Sense(R) (MSMS) is Bayer Corporation's award-winning company-wide initiative that advances science literacy through hands-on, inquiry-based science education, employee volunteerism and a public education campaign. Currently, 12 Bayer sites around the country operate local MSMS programs, which together represent a national volunteer corps of more than 1,000 employees.

About Bayer Corporation

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2007 net sales of 8.1 billion euros and employed 16,800 at year end. Bayer's three subgroups, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience, improve people's lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose, prevent and treat diseases; protect crops and enhance yields; and advance automobile safety and durability.

About Carnegie Science Center

Carnegie Science Center is dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by connecting science and technology with everyday life. By making science both relevant and fun, the Science Center's goal is to increase science literacy in the region and motivate young people to seek careers in science and technology. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science Center is Pittsburgh's premier science exploration destination, reaching more than 700,000 people annually through its hands-on exhibits, camps, classes and off-site education programs.

About Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1895, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums dedicated to exploration through art and science: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. In 2007, the museums reached 1.3 million people through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our annual and interim reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Bayer

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to creat...